Aoibhell
Duchess Aoibhell is an Unseelie Sidhe Wilder of House Liam and ruler of the Duchies of Goodwine and Finvarr in the Kingdom of Pacifica. Overview A classmate of Queen Aeron, the Duchess is far better suited to rule than her friend. A few years older than her liege, the former Alanna Bell first met the heir while undergoing training in the Arts from the same tutor. While she found the young princess charming, she also saw through the young Aeron's wiles and recognized the flaws which King Sean had been unable to see. Still, times were good and the land was strong, and Sean would surely rule for a great many years yet. Alas, King Sean was taken not many years after, and a desperately unready Aeron ascended the throne. Aoibhell, who by this time had already been granted her duchy by King Sean, did what she thought was her best to stem the chaos that followed by staying in Berkeley and refusing to meddle in the business of Aeron's court. She also put as charming a mask as she could on the spastic social scene of the court by taking it on herself to throw the balls and grand fetes which glued the nobility together, affairs which should have been run by the queen. It was during this time that she and Baron diMarcos first came to each other's attention. With the same perceptiveness that first allowed her to identify Aeron's weaknesses, she quickly pegged diMarcos as the author of the court's remarkable strength of purpose while the queen mourned. Subtly lending him her support, she made quite certain that his position as eminence grise would be unassailable. She also conceived quite an affection for the quietly handsome nobleman, one which she takes great pains to cover up. The baron, who unfortunately took her at face value the first time he met her, is quite unaware of her feelings for him. Indeed, he refers to her in private as "Duchess Tinkerbell," and seems unaware of her contributions other than her legendary parties. She has, of course, taken pains to ensure that diMarcos never learns of the aid she lent him. These days, Aoibhell is filled with foreboding. Her still-epic parties have taken on a manic edge, and her recent "Masque of the Red Death" ball was viewed as being utterly tasteless. (Inviting a Kindred Prodigal to attend the party as the Red Death personified was, all agreed, a bit much). Still, she lives in hope: hope that Aeron will free herself from Hamal's lascivious clutches, hope that her stewardship of her holdings will be a blessing for both land and inhabitants, and hope that someday, perhaps, the scales will fall from Baron diMarcos' eyes. Until then, she rules quietly and revels loudly. Image A vision in blues and purples, Aoibhell is a crimson-haired beauty of classical form. Slender and curvaceous, she has startling blue eyes and a wicked smile, both of which have been the despair of the men and Kithain who surround her. She exercises restraint in her jewelry, preferring simple pieces of silver adorned with pearls or opals. Her gowns are always long and flowing, but she has been known to exchange court garb for red and black trews for the hunt. Personal Quite aware of what's actually going on at Caer Redwood, Aoibhell keeps her disapproval, not to mention her razor-sharp intelligence, to herself. If diMarcos will hold things together politically, she'll take care of the social end and hopefully everything will work out. She doesn't want to think about the consequences if they don't. She is kind to her servitors, gracious to her guests, and respectful of the queen. Hamal and Hannah have nothing but her contempt, though she shows this only in the subtlest ways. In the meantime, she is the perfect hostess and gets the real work done behind closed doors. Treasures Aoibhell possesses a sword which is capable of both flame and frost, which she calls Equinox. The blade is a treasure; a civil war cavalry saber passed down for generations in Aoibhell's mortal family. She also has many chimerical trinkets and toys, ranging from necklaces that heat up in the presence of Glamour to a clockwork bronze bird that can find anyone in the world should it be given the proper direction. Her armor is of rings of brass cunningly fit together by her court smith. Heraldic designs are beaten into the metal, and the engravings are enameled red. References # CTD. Immortal Eyes: The Toybox, pp. 72-73. Category:Unseelie (CTD) Category:Sidhe (CTD) Category:Wilders (CTD) Category:House Liam (CTD)